After sputtering through the first month of the season, a recent hot streak has the Toronto Blue Jays looking like surprise buyers as the trade deadline approaches.
The Jays have won 13 out of their last 15 games, vaulting them into the first Wild Card position and leaving them just four games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. Their run has been fueled largely by an explosive offense, which has averaged 5.9 runs a game during that span, including six games with eight or more runs.
The pitching staff, meanwhile, has largely held its own, with the notable exception of Bowden Francis. The 29-year-old right-hander has not been able to repeat his 2024 breakout performance, as he has posted a 6.12 ERA and leads the American League with eight losses, including both of the Blue Jays defeats during this span.
While Bowden has been a massive disappointment in the rotation’s fourth spot, the fifth spot has been a constant shuffle between unproven youngsters Paxton Shultz and Easton Lucas and uninspiring journeymen Eric Lauer and José Ureña. Though the return of future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer figures to provide a boost, it is hard to trust a 40-year-old who has made just 10 starts over the last two seasons.
If the Blue Jays believe they have a chance to make a run in October, they are going to need another dependable arm alongside the steady Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and José Berríos. Therefore, it’s no surprise that The Athletic’s Jim Bowden has heard that they have locked in on acquiring another starting pitcher.
“The Blue Jays have made acquiring a starting pitcher their priority at this deadline,” Bowden wrote. “They match up well with the Diamondbacks for one of their impending free-agent starters, Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly, if Arizona decides to sell, or perhaps with the Angels for Tyler Anderson.”
Both Gallen and Kelly would provide veteran experience at a reasonable price, but with the Diamondbacks climbing back to .500 after sweeping the Seattle Mariners, it is still a question as to whether they would give up on their season while still possessing one of the major’s best offenses. On the other hand, the left-handed Anderson, who has posted a 3.86 ERA in 44 starts since 2024, would fit seamlessly alongside a rotation filled with right-handers, and would provide the back-end stability that the Blue Jays have been desperately searching for this season
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